It's CompliKated
by Johnny Devlyn
Summary: I took Kate's comment "It's complicated"- in regard to Castle- as a personal challenge and decided to uncomplicate things. I apologize for the terrible pun, but it amused me. Also, I've rewritten several parts beginning in chapter five.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: It drives me crazy when people say, "It's complicated" when it really isn't. Things are only as complicated as people make them, and in this case, things are far less complicated than the characters involved- Kate in particular- are making them seem. I have no real idea where I'm going with this, it was just me taking Kate's 'it's complicated' comment as a personal challenge to un-complicate things.**

**Also, I apologize for the terrible pun, but it amused me too much to change it. And I thought it was fitting, as the 'complications' all seem to be solely on Kate's side of the relationship.**

Kate lay in bed that night- in _Richard Castle_'s house- staring at the ceiling. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable- Castle's house was far _too_ comfortable. Everything in Castle's house was obviously expensive, but more importantly to him, comfortable. And Kate owed this stay in a better-than-hotel-quality room all to Castle.

She hated owing him _anything_.

Though she knew he would never hold it over her, the fact that she was basically a charity case now.

And to make the insomnia worse, Jordan's words kept running through her head.

_Who the hell does she think she is?_ Beckett fumed. She didn't examine it too closely, but for some reason, she just didn't like Agent Shaw. _I may not be _ready_ to see it? What's that supposed to mean. I already _know_ Castle cares about me. He wouldn't let me near his daughter let alone spend a night- several nights actually, now and into the foreseeable future- if he didn't trust me, didn't care about me. I know he cares._

She continued to rant silently, flipped over in bed yet again, and slammed her fists into her pillow in frustration.

The more she thought about it, and the more she tossed and turned, the more agitated she became, until she finally got up and made her way downstairs.

Kate found herself in Castle's office, staring at the shelves full of his own books. There were others too, but his own were most prominently displayed, and it was one of his books that she liked reading this late at night, anyway. Kate grabbed one of her favorite Derek Storm novels off the shelf, then got comfy on one of the chairs in the room, her knees curled up to her chest. It had been a couple years not since she'd read this book, but it remained one of her favorites.

Curled up, with the book balanced on her knees and her nose inches from the pages, Kate began reading from the beginning and lost herself for a little while in the world of Detective Storm.

"That's cute," Castle suddenly said, making Kate jump. "You move your lips when you read."

"Castle! How long have you been standing there?" Kate demanded, grumpy about being caught off guard.

Rick shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter." When Kate gave him a look, he added, "Not long," _comparatively_, he silently qualified. He pushed off from the doorway where he had been leaning and headed to his desk. Actually, he had been watching her since she sat down. He had heard noises in the loft and since their last case together, he no longer took safety for granted.

Kate closed the book, and made a gesture at it. "Sorry."

"Please," he said, shaking his head. "I want you to be comfortable while you're here. You're welcome to use anything I own. It's just stuff."

"Thanks," she said, uncomfortable again with the idea that she somehow owed Castle anything.

As he sat down, Kate stood and moved to the shelves.

"You don't have to leave."

"Oh," Kate stopped, her hand extended to put the book away. She carefully slid the book back into its place, and turned. "I should be getting to bed anyway. We have an early morning."

"Oh, sure," he said, hiding his disappointment with a smile. "One of the great things about not having a _real _job; I get to work whenever I want. I probably won't be able to get back to sleep for a while, so I'm gonna write for a bit."

She nodded and walked away, berating herself all the back to her room. Every time he entered a room lately, she found some excuse to leave. And tonight, she had really wanted to stay. _Just to read_, she added mentally.

Instead, she went back to bed and slept fitfully once she eventually dozed off.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate woke early, the life of a cop often lived in the wee hours of the morning when most other sane people were still sleeping. She remembered when she had been one of those sane people, back in college; her earliest classes had started at ten- noon if she were lucky. But being a cop had become such a part of her personality, she found she was more of a morning person than she ever would have thought possible.

And she could actually relax in the loft at such an early hour; in the week she'd been staying there, she had yet to see Castle this early in the morning. Kate knew it wasn't very green of her, but the thought of arriving at the precinct in the same car, coming from the same apartment, with Richard Castle was not something she wanted the guys witnessing. So she went in early, claiming paperwork called her in.

Not that Castle had ever asked her about it. He just showed up when he was good and ready, or when she called him because they had a case. He never pried, but she still had excuses- _legitimate responses_- lined up in case he did.

This morning though, Castle appeared. Noise at the head of the stairs alerted her to his presence, and she watched as he descended, his eyes half closed, his attention on making it down the steps without tripping. He was wearing a white t-shirt and baggy blue cotton pajama pants. She watched him for a moment, as he made his way down stairs. He was kind of cute like that, his hair mussed, rubbing his eyes like a kid.

Before he could catch her staring, she turned to make the coffee.

"Mornin'," he called, making his way slowly toward her. He stretched as he walked, giving Kate a glimpse of firm skin she pretended she wasn't mesmerized by.

"Good morning," she replied.

He chuckled when he saw her, her hair pulled up in a messy pony tail, her pajamas overlarge.

"What?" she said, self conscious.

"We match." She glanced between their bodies, comparing. The flannel pants were different patterns, but they were both blue. "We're even wearing the same size."

She smiled a little, then gave him a sarcastic look. "Don't even think about it, Castle."

"What?"

"I will not be sleeping in anything silky or lacy while I'm here. So don't even try."

Castle chuckled then let out a noisy yawn, taking a seat at the bar facing the kitchen. "You don't have to make coffee every morning, you know."

"I know," she said, pulling down two mugs and pouring coffee for herself and for Castle. "I make coffee for myself, though. It's not that hard to add more water and make enough for everyone."

"I'm sure Alexis appreciates that. I don't always get up in time to make her breakfast."

"From what I've seen, Little Castle manages pretty well for herself most mornings." Kate set a mug in front of him, the coffee flavored exactly how he liked it.

He smiled, pride in his offspring obvious on his face. "Thank you," he said, sipping from the coffee.

Kate glanced at the time on the oven, then moved to get another mug down. She made a third cup of coffee- which was more like half coffee and half milk- and set it beside Castle. He looked at her in question, but Kate just smiled and continued moving around the kitchen. She popped some bread into the toaster, then started making scrambled eggs.

Castle watched her work, amazed to see her so comfortable in a kitchen. After the 'Styrofoam temple' he'd found in her own apartment, he'd assumed she didn't know how to cook. But Kate's movements were comfortable, efficient and totally at home in her work space. She was finished cooking in minutes, eggs and toast split between two plates.

Kate set the second plate next to the third coffee cup, and when Castle moved to grab some of the eggs, she slapped his hand.

They glared at each other for a moment, Rick nursing his slapped hand, when Alexis suddenly appeared at the head of the steps. As Alexis practically skipped into the room, Kate warned the teen, "Better eat your breakfast before your father does."

"Thank you so much, Kate." The girl sat down and immediately grabbed her fork. "You really don't have to make me breakfast, though."

"You tell me that every morning," Kate replied, her voice stern but affectionate. "And what do I tell you?"

"Shut up," Alexis responded, rolling her eyes. When she glanced over and saw her father's look, Alexis corrected, "Well, not literally, but something along those lines."

Kate laughed, then turned serious on the girl's father. "Did you know she doesn't even eat breakfast most mornings?"

Castle frowned, not liking the accusing tone in Kate's voice. "She's a big girl."

"And you're a big boy, so," Kate slapped his hand again, as he picked a piece of egg off his daughter's plate. "Make your own breakfast."

Rick smiled as he popped the small piece of food into his mouth.

_He thinks he's SO charming_, she thought as she glared at him. She had to turn quickly so he wouldn't see her begrudging smile.

Kate took her plate and sat beside Alexis, and when he realized no one was going to be serving _him_, he sighed theatrically, heaving himself up to go get something to eat.

He grabbed a muffin, and leaned over the inside of the counter, making conversation with the women, more than actually eating. He inquired after his daughter's plans for the day, then Kate's. Kate noticed the Castles working to include her in the conversation, though it didn't seem forced or fake.

It was a happy little moment between a happy little family, and that thought had Kate suddenly uncomfortable. They included her in their lives so easily, not at all begrudgingly. In fact, they were warm and welcoming.

Kate finished her eggs quickly then and left the Castles to their family moment.

It was unnerving to Kate how easily the Castles just accepted her into their home, how easily she seemed to fit in with them. It felt great, on one hand, to have a family- or at least the pretense of a family. But she knew it would end, and she would lose this feeling of family soon. It terrified her every time she remembered this was only a temporary situation. And this wasn't her family.

It also freaked her out that she even wanted to be part of _Richard Castle's_ family.

It scared her that she could so easily picture herself as a member of the family- as Alexis's mother-figure, and Martha's pseudo-daughter. Even picturing herself some way related to Castle came much easier than she cared to dwell on.

So she chose not to dwell on it, pushing it out of her mind, as well as Castle, and resolving to avoid the family as much as possible while living under the same roof. It was a big loft, plenty of space to continue leading her own life, apart from the Castle family- apart from Castle himself.


	3. Chapter 3

For three weeks, it had worked. She avoided Rick, she avoided becoming too attached to Alexis- though she continued making the girl breakfast most mornings- and she avoided any more cozy family moments. And it hadn't been easy at first.

Rick had put up a fight, inviting Kate to family dinner, family game nights, even laser tag on the main floor. But he had given up eventually, when she answered every request with, "No, thank you," and an aloof look.

Sometimes she made excuses, but that had become unnecessary when he stopped asking. And her excuse for tonight was a bath.

Rick and Alexis each had their own private bathrooms, so even though Kate's was technically one of the 'public' restrooms for the rest of the house, she had had to share it very little. Martha seldom used it, and when she did, her bag of toiletries disappeared with her when she returned to her boyfriend's place.

So she didn't feel bad about hogging the room for a good hour when she needed a long soak in warm water with a good book. The tub might not have the charm of the one in her old apartment, but it was modern and comfortable and the jets made up for the lack of antiquity.

Kate had been making her way through Rick's book collection, mostly the novels he'd penned himself. For some reason, she'd chosen Storm Fall to read while in the bath, even though she hated the book. It made her cry every time she read it, even though she knew the ending by heart now. She could relate all too well to that feeling of loss, and as hard as she fought it, she couldn't stop the few tears the book always managed to produce. She had no idea why she continued reading it, knowing the effect it always had, but in some way, if she could overcome the effect his words had on her, maybe Kate could manage the effect the man had on her, too. She had yet to manage either.

And even though she had teased him once about the last scene of Storm Fall, it never failed to cut to her heart.

Kate read the last lines, sighed heavily, annoyed again by her tears, then dropped the book over the side of the tub, where it landed with a slap on the marble floor. She quickly checked to make sure the book hadn't been damaged in the fall- it looked perfect- and she splashed water over her face, removing any evidence of her tears.

She laid back in the tub and just relaxed. She hated that book, but she loved it too. It was probably Rick's best work. But it was also the end of a character she had loved and admired and looked to for strength when she thought her own would fail.

She sighed again, squeezing her eyes shut and changing her train of thought before she started crying again.

There was a soft knock on the door right before it opened a crack, and Kate quickly sat up, covering herself with her arms, as she barked, "Castle?!" in outrage and surprise.

"It's me," came the voice of the younger Castle. The door to the bathroom stayed open, but only by an inch. "I just needed to check on you."

"Oh, well I'm okay," she said, a bit confused.

"I'm sorry," Alexis continued, rambling a bit. "It was quiet for so long, and then I heard something fall, and my dad's not home, so I guess I panicked a little. I just needed to make sure you were okay."

"I understand." Kate relaxed, "Your dad's not home?"

"No, he had a book signing or something. He won't be home till late, so it's just us."

Kate suddenly felt bad, realizing that as independent as the girl seemed, she still craved company just like anyone else. "I'll be out in a second," she assured. "Then maybe we could watch a movie together?"

Kate could hear the smile in Alexis's voice when she replied, "That sounds like fun."

"Why don't you go choose one, and I'll be down in just a few minutes."

The door closed, but jumped back open again. Alexis hesitated, then said, "Thank you, Kate," her heart in her voice. The door then closed before Kate could reply.

Kate smiled. Alexis was such an easy girl to like. And when compared to her father, she seemed like a miracle of nature. As she quickly dried and dressed, Kate realized she was actually looking forward to spending some time alone with Alexis. It seemed like forever since Kate had had a simple girls' night.

Kate was still combing her hair when she entered the great room, and found Alexis prepping the television.

"I chose The Librarian," Alexis said, as Kate sat down. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind, anything you want to watch is okay."

"Okay," Alexis smiled happily. "It's got vampires and treasure hunts and this really cute guy."

Kate laughed at her exuberance, relaxing as the movie started. Impulsively, Kate turned to Alexis and pointed to the floor in front of her. "Sit here and I'll braid your hair."

Alexis smiled and said, "Okay," before she plopped to the floor at Kate's feet. "I made popcorn, and I didn't know what drink you would like, so I brought one of everything we had."

"Thank you," Kate said simply as they settled in to watch the movie. Kate carefully began combing Alexis's hair.

It was a pleasant evening for both of them, one surprised to be so comfortable around a girl she barely knew, and the other simply happy not to be spending the night alone worrying about her dad and their phantom roommate who avoided her family like they were contagious. It was hard for the teen not to worry that Kate's behavior was in response to Alexis herself, that maybe she had done something to make the older woman dislike her. But the gentle pull of the comb through her hair and Kate's fingers gently twisting her hair back were the best reassurance the girl could have hoped for. In that simple action, Alexis was reassured that she wasn't the cause of Kate's aloof behavior. It was something between the adults that they would have to work out for themselves. She couldn't be expected to solve all of her father's problems, could she?

Alexis sighed happily, the hands in her hair relaxing her worries away, and she watched the movie, pushing anymore thoughts away for the night.

**Author's note: I've mentioned this movie before, and I just had to put it in here, too. The Librarian; Curse of the Judas Chalice really was a good movie, starring Stana Katic. It amuses me to include their movies in stories I write about these two Wonderful Characters. I'll have to find a way to fit Firefly in somehow!**


	4. Chapter 4

It was late when Rick finally opened his front door, and his first stop was to go check on Alexis. No matter how many times he had told her she could wait up for him when he stayed out late- in fact he might have preferred she waited up for him to get home- she was always in bed at a _reasonable_ time. He sometimes wondered if his ex-wife hadn't given birth to an old woman.

When he got to her hall, a light could still be seen shining under the door. Castle frowned. Alexis didn't stay up this late, even when she had a big test the next day. When he opened the door, his heart beat faster, a ball of acid suddenly burning in his stomach. His daughter's bed was empty.

He remembered he used to be able to find her in his room, though the last time she'd slept in his bed when he was out was several years ago.

He made a mad dash down the stairs and scrambled to find the phone. He rushed to snatch the phone off the dining room table, hit the button and held the device to his ear. As he listened, he heard a very familiar little sleep-snort almost obscured by the dial tone.

Rick hit the button again, and stood still for a moment, willing his heart to slow and his breathing to quiet. As he held his breath for a second, he heard two very gentle intakes of breath, one the familiar hitching breath of his daughter.

Rick slowly moved around the couch, surprised and touched to find his daughter curled up on the couch, her head snuggled on the shoulder of Detective Kate Beckett.

As he watched, Kate stirred, reaching up to scratch at a spot on her cheek that had been seconds before resting on his daughter's hair. Kate yawned and frowned, her free hand coming up to rub her neck, and Alexis stirred then, nuzzling her face into Kate's shoulder and wrapping her arm around the older woman's waist, then immediately falling back to peaceful rest.

Kate suddenly felt the presence of someone nearby and her eyes blinked open to find Castle standing over her with a sentimental look on his face. The throbbing ache in her shoulder reminded her that the look was probably caused by the cuddly teen curled up next to her. She couldn't really recall how the two had ended up like this, but it had been an effortless kind of comfort she felt around the teen. Kate could easily see why her father was so proud of her. She was smart and strong and yet completely endearing and innocent. And a heck of a lot of fun.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Rick teased, keeping his voice low so as not to wake his daughter.

"What time is it?" Kate asked, ignoring his comments.

"Just after two."

"Slinking home from something scandalous?" she teased.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he teased back.

"No, actually, I wouldn't."

He just chuckled, not convinced. "You gotta be careful around this one," Rick said, gesturing to his daughter. "She invariably ends up curled around the warmest thing in the room. Usually that's me, but in this case, obviously it was you."

Kate smiled, but tried to hide it from Rick. "I guess we should get up to bed," she decided, using the arm around Alexis to shake the girl gently until she stirred. "Your dad's home. Time for us to get to bed," Kate told her, gently trying to wake her.

"I got her," Rick said, then picked up his nearly grown daughter, and grunted. "This was a lot easier when you were eight."

"You didn't have to carry me, dad," Alexis mumbled as he walked away with her in his arms.

"I was trying to impress Kate. It's not my fault you're so big! If it were up to me, you'd still be eight!"

"I'm not _big_," Alexis complained.

"For an eight year old, you are!"

She barely shook her head, too tired to continue the inane conversation. Kate watched them as Rick made his way upstairs, carrying his daughter. He made it to the first landing, then had to set the girl down, his arm wrapping around her shoulders instead as he continued helping her up.

"She's all tucked in," Rick said, seconds later, coming back down the stairs. When he met Kate on her way up, he blurted, "Where are you going?"

"To bed," she said, using a 'duh' tone.

"Oh," he replied, obviously disappointed. "I thought… we could share a drink or something."

"I have to get up early," she said, moving around him to head up the stairs.

"But it's Saturday."

She turned back on the first landing and tilted her head in annoyance. "Haven't you noticed, Castle? I get up early every day."

He just wrinkled his nose in distaste, then said, "Until tomorrow, Detective."

"It is tomorrow," she called back, already moving up the stairs.

"Kate," he called in a different tone when she was on the top landing. When she turned back, he was looking up at her, smiling gently. "Thank you for spending time with Alexis. She won't admit it, but she hates it when I leave her alone. And she really enjoys spending time with you."

"It was no problem," she said, trying to remain aloof, until she thought about the night and the girl she'd spent her time with and she smiled too. "She really is a great girl."

"Well, I think so. But then I get accused of being biased, so I usually just let people figure it out on their own."

Kate just smiled, humoring him a little, then went to her room.

Settled up in her own bed, Kate realized she couldn't continue shutting Alexis out of her life. As long as she lived in the loft, Kate was going to have to include the girl more in her everyday routine. It wasn't fair to ignore the girl when it was her father Kate was actually trying to avoid becoming attached to.

But as she thought about it, Kate realized it would not be as big a sacrifice as she made it seem.

Alexis really was a lot of fun to just hang out with.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So, when I first wrote this chapter, Kate abruptly had a random epiphany. I've been stuck in this story because it just wasn't believable; it wasn't true to the characters (though I'm not sure this is much better!). I'm going through and rewriting the parts that seem awkward to me and trying to make the story better. So, no epiphany here, but she is getting used to living with Rick and adjusting to the idea of him in her life. New stuff mixed with the old from here on out, though I'll be keeping the dinner scenes, they'll just come later. I'll let you know what's new and what's old so you can skip it if you like. **

The next night, there was a light tap on Kate's bedroom door, and knowing the sound of that particular tap now, Kate said, "Come in, Alexis."

The teen entered, looking uncomfortable. "I just wanted to apologize," she began.

"For what?" Kate said, confused though immediately on alert.

"I can't believe I passed out on you like that. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Kate smiled, relieved. "If I were uncomfortable, I would have moved," she assured the girl.

Alexis smiled back and continued, "My dad usually doesn't leave me alone like that, and I thought I'd be okay, but I guess I'm used to having company, like, all the time. Thank you for spending time with me."

"I actually had a lot of fun, too," Kate assured.

"I'm glad," Alexis practically beamed. "So, I also wanted to ask, did you want to watch a movie with me again tonight?"

"Sure," Kate said instantly, honestly pleased to have another night with the teen.

"Do you want to pick the movie this time?"

"I liked the one last night. You actually have really good taste in movies. I'll let you pick again."

Alexis smiled, then skipped out of the room. As she was closing the door behind her, Kate heard her yell down the stairs, "Dad, Kate said _I_ get to pick the movie tonight, so there!"

Kate froze. The way Alexis had invited her to watch the movie, Kate had assumed it would just be the two of them. Kate would much prefer it were just the two of them.

She took several minutes preparing before heading down the stairs, trying to come up with plausible excuses why she needed to back out of movie night, but when she finally stepped downstairs, Alexis skipped over to her, smiling happily, and wrapped her arms around Kate's arm, leading Kate into the sitting area.

"Dad and I couldn't agree, so we're gonna watch two movies," Alexis said, as she sat Kate on one end of the couch, herself in the middle, and her dad on the other end. "We're watching The Spirit first, then Dad wants to watch _Serenity_," she said, using a teasingly annoyed tone for the last movie.

Kate didn't mind having the teen inches from her side, she didn't even mind when the girl grabbed the popcorn bowl, and leaned against Kate's shoulder so they could share. What she minded was the man on the other side of Alexis, sharing popcorn with them, and making the scene feel much too domestic.

Kate squirmed until half way through the movie, still trying to think up excuses of why she needed to leave. And though she was obviously distracted, Rick and Alexis asked her questions throughout the movie, trying to include her in their conversation. Her answers were short, though, her mind on her excuses.

She thought she had come up with a really good one, so she finally turned to watch the father-daughter pair as they watched the movie, waiting for an opportune time to interject. But they never stopped talking. They commented on the graphics, the actors, and the acting. She hadn't really been listening up till now, but focusing on their conversation, she realized they were just like any loving family, their banter teasing, but love underlying every thing they said. And they were still working to include Kate, even though she had fought them on it.

Kate noticed as Castle gave his daughter a look and nodded his head in Kate's direction. Kate frowned in suspicion, but Alexis turned to face her and asked, "What do you think, Kate?" The older woman tipped her head in question, but before she could ask, Alexis added, "does Cap'n Mal look anything like Dad? I don't think so, but he swears they could be twins."

Kate frowned at Castle for a moment, then at the TV. Before either could conclude that she wasn't going to answer, but just long enough that they started to doubt, Kate turned back to smile at Castle and let out an un-lady-like snort. "Cap'n Mal is a _sexy space cowboy_. The most exciting thing your dad does is shadow a lady cop and hold her purse when she needs to take down a murderer."

Castle looked affronted, but when his daughter laughed and even conceded, "True!" he looked downright insulted.

When the women stopped laughing at him, Castle said, "I didn't want to play this card, but you two forced my hand." He pointed a finger at Kate and accused, "I saved your life. Twice!"

Kate rolled her eyes and denied, "My _bathtub_ saved my life."

"I used my own body to knock down your door and get to you through fire and raining explosion debris." Kate opened her mouth to deny again but Rick spoke over her. "And! Most impressive of all- knowing me as well as you both do- I didn't even peek when I noticed you were naked."

Both women finally looked sufficiently impressed, though Kate was also a little embarrassed, if her bright blush was anything to judge by.

"Dad!" Alexis cried, "You never told me any of this!"

Castle also looked a little embarrassed now, too. "I brag about a lot of things, but not… not this." He looked up at Kate. "I'm just glad you're safe, Kate." He smiled impishly, "Though I was rather impressive, wasn't I?"

Kate smiled that smile Rick's youthful charm always managed to wring from her, the one she always tried to fight, but couldn't completely suppress. It was the first time she had smiled at him in weeks, even if she did shake her head, too, and Rick was elated. He was also distracted enough that he didn't see the pillow she held until it was flying toward his head. Castle was glad he hadn't totally given up on her and resolved all over again to include Kate in his family- as long as she lived with them- as often as he could.

And Kate began to think. As they all turned back to the movie, Kate looked back over her recent behavior and was ashamed to say that even to herself, she looked like a spoiled brat. Rick and Alexis had opened their home to her. They had done everything they could to include her in their family and when she had rejected them, they still continued to ensure she was at least comfortable. _I _am_ a spoiled brat_, she concluded.

"Not anymore," Kate muttered to herself, along with a silent promise to at least try to repay the kindness her hosts had never ceased to show her.

"What did you say, Kate?" Alexis asked.

She hadn't meant to speak aloud, but she quickly thought of something to say. "Now that you mention it, Mal does look a little like Castle. Although Mal's eyes are an incredible blue."

"My eyes are bluer than that guy's!" Castle exclaimed.

Both women laughed at him, Alexis recognizing the setup for what it was: Kate was teasing her dad again. The teen smiled happily at the realization, relieved that Kate finally seemed to be relaxing. Alexis just wanted this woman she admired so much to be comfortable and maybe even happy while she was stuck at her home. Even though she knew Kate didn't really want to be there.

And Kate watched her hosts in turn. She noticed the happy- even relieved- smiled on Alexis's face and felt guilty as she realized how her behavior had obviously been affecting the girl.

Kate fully joined the conversation then, her excuse to leave totally forgotten. When they started the second movie, the Castles began debating the skills of the actors on screen.

"I think that Sand Seraf is the best actress in the movie," Castle was saying.

Alexis gasped. "No way, she's totally lame. Morgenstern is way better than her."

Kate jumped in at that point. "Morgenstern is definitely the best actor in the entire movie."

"I don't know," he teased. "I kind of like Eva Mendes."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Alexis said, her eyes never leaving the screen. "I agree with Kate. Morgenstern is the coolest. Don't you think she kind of looks like Kate?"

"You got a pretty smart daughter there, Castle," Kate replied, really smiling at him for the first time in forever. "You should really listen to her more often."

**Author's note Part II: I haven't seen The Spirit, though I've seen clips, so I have no idea who should get credit for 'best actor' in that particular movie. I guessed based on the fact that Stana Katic is obviously our favorite actress here. I did see Serenity, though and I thought it was great! And I agree with Castle here, Mal was the best part of the movie.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: this is the second of the new/rewritten story line. I just wanted to add that I'm sorry this has taken me so long to get back to. I lost sight of my original storyline along the way and then lost interest in the story. But I'm reworking the parts I didn't like and hopefully making the story better. Thank you for sticking with me and prompting me even though it's been so long since I've worked on this story. **

Over the next week, Kate found it was a lot easier letting the Castles include her in their lives than it had been fighting them. And she found it wasn't that difficult a sacrifice. She joined them in games, she watched more movies with them, and she even helped Alexis with her homework, though neither Kate nor Alexis had intended it that way. Alexis had been reading a book for English and when Kate mentioned that she had read the book too, they had started a discussion that led Alexis to a perfect topic for her subsequent essay. That led Alexis to the idea that Kate might also have a few ideas for a world history essay.

Though she spent a lot more time with the Castles, they also gave her all the alone time she needed. Kate had lived alone for many years, and she always feared that she would miss that independence when- or heaven forbid, _if_- she ever moved in with a man. The Castle clan gave her space when she needed it, and welcomed her with joy when she joined them in any of their activities. She found herself joining them more and more often as time passed, her joy in getting to know Alexis, and even Rick, greater than she could have imagined.

She tried giving them their family time too, knowing how important it was for a kid to spend time alone with her parents while they were still around. But more and more often, when Kate tried giving them space, Alexis would come up, knock on her door, and entice Kate downstairs with a movie or a game or even a sweet treat her dad had picked up on the way home. Not that she needed enticing anymore; she just didn't want them to ever think she was becoming a third wheel.

Kate sat in her chair, her feet tucked under her, reading Heat Wave for the fifth time. She was getting into her favorite part of the book when she had the random thought that she wasn't alone in the room. Sure that that idea was ridiculous- it was the middle of the night and every one had gone to bed hours ago- she tried to continue reading but the feeling wouldn't go away. She finally looked up and started when she saw Rick leaning in the door way. She also noticed he looked surprised that he'd been caught, but he tried to cover it by moving into the room and heading to his desk.

"That's interesting," he commented before she could.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Your lips don't move when you're reading the naughty parts."

To hide her blush, she smiled just a little. "You know what's even more interesting?" He cocked an eyebrow in response, then waited for her to continue. "You when you're trying to avoid an awkward question."

"Whatever could you mean, Detective?" he paused in turning on his laptop so he could make eye contact and give Kate an innocent look. Failing to do so would have given his lie away.

"How long were you watching me this time?"

He grinned and replied unapologetically, "Since you started reading chapter nine." Then he started teasing again, "You started out moving your lips as you read, but as the chapter progressed, you stopped."

She was able to laugh at herself, grinning in response to his smile. "I didn't even realize I did that. No one's been in a position to point that out to me in a long time."

"Glad to be of use, Detective." He replied charmingly, but then frowned when she stood to leave. Her hand paused on the way up to put Heat Wave away when he called, "Kate." She turned back to look at him and waited for him to continue. "You don't have to leave. You can stay."

"Aren't you going to be working? I don't want to be a distraction. I did invade your office."

"You won't be a distraction," he assured, smiling because it looked like she might actually stay. "I prefer to have company while I work. Alexis and I often work in the same room."

Kate took a step back toward her chair then hesitated. "Are you sure?" she almost hoped he'd give her an out, unsure as to how she felt about sitting around quietly in the same room as Castle.

"Sure I'm sure. You sit over there and read as long as you like, and I'll just be working over here."

"Okay," she smiled, moving back to her chair. "Thanks." Kate curled back up in her chair, turning though so her profile would face Castle, instead of having him in her line of sight.

Kate stopped overanalyzing when she heard the tapping of the keys on Rick's laptop, glad that his attention was no longer on her. She started reading again and soon forgot all about the man sitting across the room.

Rick, meanwhile, was glad that Kate's attention seemed to be totally engrossed in her book; otherwise she might notice that he never once looked down at the computer screen. And when he finally did look, the results looked something like: aeigkcnr neoa a;tehiadlktne ahicsntn;ei ethht;klad jviwlek … Only there were several pages of it.

Instead of working like he'd claimed, he was studying Kate's profile. Rick had definitely noticed a difference in Kate this past week. Previously, she had been the 'Phantom of the Loft,' hiding in her room and going out of her way to avoid him and his daughter. He acknowledged that he couldn't possibly know everything she was going through, but knowing Kate and what had happened, he could guess. Kate was a very independent person, used to being alone, and she was suddenly in the uncomfortable position of depending on someone else to keep a roof over her head. And she was stuck until insurance could be cleared and her home rebuilt. Rick also knew that Kate's behavior wasn't because she was resentful, but she was uncomfortable suddenly having roommates, one of which never failed to let her know he was very attracted to her. Her avoidance wasn't dislike, but discomfort and uncertainty.

So he had given her space and tried to keep her as comfortable as possible as long as she was living with him.

Rick grinned and thought, _Kate and I are living together_. Then he rolled his eyes at himself.

He was glad that she finally seemed to be relaxing, and thrilled that she was spending so much time with Alexis. The girl needed a strong woman in her life, especially someone so much more serious than the other women in her life.

As he watched, Kate's lips began to move as she read. Though, at the same time, her eyelids began to droop and her long blinks gradually slowed until they didn't open again. The book fell against her chest and her head tilted against the back of her chair.

Castle watched for a long moment, her chest rising with every breath, until he decided he shouldn't wait any longer to send her up to bed.

Rick stood and approached quietly, studying the pale skin of her eyelids, the lashed dark against her skin. There was a single dark freckle- a 'beauty mark'- against one cheek. He had to restrain himself before he reached out to put his fingertip to that small spot.

Though, when a strand of hair fell over her face, he decided it would be down right rude _not_ to move it for her. Rick gently brushed the strands off her face and watched mesmerized as she nuzzled her face into his touch. He dropped his hand to gently rest on her shoulder and nudge her.

"Kate?" he said, removing the book from her lap as she stirred. "Kate, wake up."

She lifted her head, looking confused until she spotted rick standing over her. "I must have fallen asleep. Sorry."

He smiled. "It's fine. You don't snore. But I figured I should send you to bed before you spent all night in that chair. The last time I tried that, I couldn't turn my head for a week.

She suddenly made a face and put her hand to her neck. Tilting her head back and forth, she said, "I see what you mean. Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied, smiling and watching the graceful curve of her neck as she swung her head around. "Come on," he added and held out his hand to her. "Let's get to bed."

Kate eyed his hand suspiciously for a moment before she looked up and saw his smile. She smiled back, and put her hand in his, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

They walked silently through the loft, and up the stairs, side-by-side. When rick stopped at the top floor landing, Kate turned to face him.

"Good night, Kate," he said. Then before she could react, he leaned in and kissed her, right on the corner of her mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: the first half of this is new, up to the dividing line thing. After that it's part of the original chapter six. I had forgotten how kind and generous and forgiving everyone is on this site! Thank you all for the reviews and the patience with me while I was figuring out where I was going with this story. For that, I'll be posting the next three chapters within the next two days.**

Though Kate had been tired enough to doze off- in the same room as _Castle_- reading, when Kate finally slipped into bed, she lie awake, thinking.

Downstairs, part of her mind had been sleeping, but her ears had somehow been able to register when Rick's fingers had stopped flying over the keyboard. Kate had almost full slipped into unconsciousness in the quiet following, but just before she could, she'd heard his chair move. His footsteps had been almost silent, but in the quiet room, she could hear them. Fully alert now, she pretended to sleep, waiting as he stood over her, doing nothing that she could hear. When her hair fell into her face, it was a struggle to remain still and not scratch the spot her hair was tickling. But then Rick reached out and brushed the lock away.

Kate's first impulse was to jump up and chew him out for touching her without her permission, but the touch was so sweet, so innocently meant and tender that she stopped thinking and let herself enjoy the touch. She must have still been half asleep, she decided, because then she had actually nuzzled her face into his touch.

Kate heard his intake of breath, and it inexplicably pleased her that she could affect him by simply responding to his touch, even in such an innocent way. But then his hand was gone, moved to her shoulder. It was such a simple touch, but one that induced myriad complicated emotions. She wanted to shove his hand away at the same time she wanted to grab it and pull him closer.

Lying in bed, she could still recall the heat of his palm on her, could imagine it traveling over her skin…

But she shoved that thought aside and wondered at the new- found tension she had experienced as they walked, side-by-side up to bed. Part of her wanted to invite him to follow her all the way into her room, but she knew better than that. Rick Castle wasn't capable of loving her the way she wanted to be loved, and she wasn't about to settle. She'd held out for 32 years for the right guy, she didn't want to give up now, even if she suspected that a night with Castle might be worth the cost.

When he had paused on the landing, she had turned toward him, almost out of habit. And then he'd said goodnight and before she could reply, he'd put his hand around her wrist, leaned in and kisser her… cheek. She hadn't been able to think of a response, she could only stare at him as he studied her eyes for a second and turned away.

As she lay in bed, remembering, her hand moved up to touch the corner of her mouth where Castle's had touched her. A small smiled quickly grew out of her controld and she found she was grinning stupidly.

She really had been ungrateful to the castle family, she recalled. She'd have to find a way to make it up to them. She knew one way that she could make it up to Rick, but she decided that could remain a fantasy for the time being. Laughing a bit at herself, she turned over and closed her eyes. Her last thoughts before she finally gave in to unconsciousness were about Castle, and what might have happened if he'd had better aim.

The next day while in the precinct, Kate found Rick alone in the observation room, watching someone on the other side of the glass.

Rick glanced up when Kate entered the room, but went back to staring at the guy in the interrogation room. "I hate that guy," Castle commented, conversationally.

But when Kate said nothing, she just closed the door behind her, Castle turned to find her studying him with a serious look on her face.

"What's up?" he asked, concerned, but trying not to worry.

Kate studied, the floor for a second, slightly uncomfortable. "I never said thank you when you and your daughter gave me a place to stay."

"Kate," he began, denial in his voice. "You don't…"

"Yes, I do," she cut him off, looking up at his blue eyes. "You gave me a safe place to stay when I needed it, and I thanked you by treating you and Alexis like crap. I…"

"Kate," he cut her off this time. "You had just been blown up in your own home, a psycho was stalking you, with the intent to kill you, and your work life was unstable, to say the least. I understand you needed space after the fact, and believe me, Alexis understands too. We're just sorry all that happened to you."

She smiled at him, touched that he never seemed to hold anything against her, no matter how she treated him. "Please, let me say thank you by making dinner for you and Alexis this weekend."

Rick looked hesitant, almost uncomfortable. "You know how to cook?" he teased. "That is so bizarre."

She laughed, and said, "I guess you'll find out, won't you?"

He nodded, smiling. He loved the sound of her laughter, a sound he hadn't heard much of until recently. "I'll warn Alexis."

The conversation was done, and Kate felt better, knowing she was forgiven, but she hesitated.

After spending so much time with his family, and coming to know them so well, she knew they were affectionate people. They had allowed her to have her personal space up to now. But she was an affectionate person too, she just didn't have a family to show that side of her personality to. Tired of hiding, tired of feeling separate from everyone and everything, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Rick. She knew he was surprised by her actions, but his arms immediately wrapped around her waist. She pressed her cheek into his shoulder, her eyes closing, as she simply enjoyed the embrace.

"Thank you," she said quietly, finding comfort in his arms. "For everything."

"I know better ways you can thank me," he suggested, teasing.

She pushed him away, scoffing. "I'm not _that_ grateful, Castle."

"No, the gratitude comes _after_ a night spent in bed with me."

"You just ruined a perfectly nice moment, Castle. And here I thought we were almost friends, then you blow it."

"Psh," he made a noise, brushing her comment off. "After a hug like that, you know I gotta try."

"Besides," she added in her dry tone, the one she always used when she teased him. "I'm more into comedy, not horror."

"Ha ha," he replied dryly, narrowing his eyes at her, but pleased at the same time. This was the Kate he had missed, the Kate that had disappeared for weeks. He was glad she was finally coming around again.

She just rolled her eyes at him. As she turned away to exit the small room, though, she smiled. At least her relationship with him seemed to be getting back to normal. She never thought she would miss the man when he was gone, but she was suddenly very grateful that he never seemed to give up.

**Author's note: I gave Kate an arbitrary age, just cause I needed to make a point. I have no idea how old she's supposed to be in the show, but Stana is actually 32- according to Wikipedia- so I went with that. Also, I stole that whole 'grateful' bit from one of my favorite books. Sweet Liar, by Jude Deveraux. The relationship between those characters is vaguely similar to the one between Kate and Rick. Kind of. But I had to give credit where credit is due. And it really is a good book. I've probably read it 20 times, at least, over the years. But it is definitely rated M… or higher…**

**PS, sorry about the trouble posting, I tried to post at school, and that didn't work. Hopefully I fixed the problems, and will actually be able to keep this chapter up!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: this is all the original chapters seven and eight. **

Kate was moving around the kitchen, quickly trying to prepare several things at once. There was a sense of organized chaos as she stirred a large pot, then a smaller one, then emptied a tub of something in a bowl and mixed it with a couple eggs.

Alexis and Rick sat at the bar, watching her work. They had already offered to help a few times, but Kate had told them to sit and keep her company.

Rick watched her closely, fascinated by her expressions. She was obviously concentrating on getting dinner right, but she was laughing too, and remaining involved in the conversation. She moved quickly from one thing to the next, but didn't seem frazzled at all. Just busy. And happy.

He smiled when she blew- for at least the fifth time- at the strand of hair that kept falling in her face, an escapee from the messy ponytail she wore.

"Are you sure we can't help you?" Rick asked, yet again.

Kate sighed good-naturedly, and paused to look at them.

"Yeah," Alexis added, looking hopeful. "Please let us help. I really want to."

Kate smiled at the girl, then sighed. "Fine. Alexis come on in here and help me stir stuff. Castle, grate this." Kate held a fat white chunk of cheese out to him along with a grater.

"Grate?" he frowned. "Can't you just use pre-grated mozzarella?"

Kate gave him a look and said, "You wanted to help, _this_ is helping." Then she pushed the cheese and grater into his hands and laughed at his pouty look.

She got back to work then, her movements a little more relaxed since she didn't have to do twenty things at once anymore. She even found time to push that stray strand of hair back into her ponytail, Castle noted, slightly disappointed. He had found it exceptionally cute watching her blow the lock out of her face over and over again.

Kate had initially been worried that she wouldn't remember the recipe, so she hadn't really wanted the Castles to witness, should she fail. But as she started, as she got the pasta boiling and all the ingredients together, it came back to her as if it were yesterday. And working side-by-side with Alexis brought the images of her mother forcefully to Kate's mind.

Impulsively, Kate wrapped her arm around Alexis's shoulders, and squeezed for a second. "I was your age when my mom taught me this recipe," she said, just before she released the girl.

Alexis smiled up at her warmly and they continued working side-by-side. "Will you teach me? We both know my dad can't cook."

"Hey," he complained. "It's not a matter of can't, it's a matter of why should I when there's plenty of better food a phone call away. What are we making, anyway?"

"Lasagna," Kate said, laughing at him as she pulled a large casserole dish out of a cupboard. "My mother used to make the _best_ lasagna."

"And now you're making it for us," Castle said. "Thank you."

"Yeah, Kate, thank you," Alexis added. "So far it smells _great_!"

Kate smiled at the compliment, then turned to eye Castle. "I'm doing this mostly for Alexis. I've seen what you two eat most nights. It's no wonder you've gained a few pounds, Ricky."

His mouth dropped open in faux outrage. "You do not get to talk, oh Queen of the Styrofoam temple."

"Most of that stuff was organic, and besides, I live alone. I'm not the one with a daughter they should be feeding better."

Rick waved his hand in dismissal, unperturbed. "That's what I pay her school ridiculous amounts of money for. To teach her better than I do."

"And feed her better, apparently."

"Dad cooks all right… when he wants to," Alexis interjected, trying to defend her dad.

Rick smiled at his daughter's attempt to make her dad sound… not completely irresponsible.

Kate began assembling ingredients in the casserole dish, Alexis helped by handing her bowls as she went.

"All right!" Kate exclaimed, closing the oven door on the dish. "It's done, it just needs to bake for a while. Castle," she added, putting a bunch of greens in front of him, as well as a bowl and assorted fruit and vegetables. "You can make the salad while I go change."

"I'd rather help you with that," he complained.

"Uh-hah ha ha," she fake laughed. Then she grabbed the hand towel off the counter and threw it at his face.

When the towel fell, he was grinning at her, but he promptly got to work on the salad as she quickly left the room.

"Wanna help?" he asked his daughter hopefully when they were alone.

"Sorry, Dad," she said as she moved around the counter and hugged her father. "I got sauce on my top. I'm gonna go change, too." She laughed when she pulled back and saw Rick pouting, but she hurried up the stairs to change anyway.

"Just a sec," Kate called, grabbing a robe and heading to the door when she heard the familiar light knock. It ended abruptly, though and when Kate opened the door, she saw the backside of Alexis, walking away from her. "Alexis?" she called.

"Oh, never mind Kate," Alexis turned back, looking a little bashful. "I'm sorry I bothered you."

"You're never a bother, Alexis. Is everything okay?" she asked when the girl continued looking uncomfortable.

"Everything's fine," she assured, smiling then. "It's silly, really." She began walking back toward Kate, glad she had knocked after all. "When I was little, my mom and I would wear matching dresses on special nights. Tonight seemed like a special night, so I thought it would be fun if we matched." Alexis shrugged and smiled bashfully. "It's silly. But I wanted to ask."

"It's not silly," Kate shook her head and smiled. "That does sound like fun. Come in and help me pick something." Kate opened the door to her room wider and gestured Alexis inside. This was the first time the girl had been in the room since Kate had moved in. "I didn't want my clothes to smell like smoke, so after I cleaned them, I brought _everything_ here. It's all in the closet."

They spent several minutes going through Kate's dresses, Alexis deciding whether or not she had something that would match. They finally made a decision when Alexis spotted a dress she had purchased last year when her mother had taken her from school and made her go shopping. "She forced me to buy it," Alexis was saying, reliving the exasperation she felt that day. "She said it would bring out my eyes."

"Well, I'm glad she did," Kate said, bumping her shoulder into Alexis's. "We'll match and your eyes will look fabulous."

Alexis grinned, then hurried to her own room to dress before she met Kate in the main bathroom to finish getting ready together.

"Your hair is _so_ pretty," Kate said, twisting Alexis's red locks up into a stylish do. "I once didn't speak to my mother for a whole week because she wouldn't let me dye my hair red. So one night, at a sleep over, I did it anyway." Kate paused in her work, making eye contact with Alexis in the mirror and grinning hugely. "To this day, some of my high school friends call me 'carrot head' because of it."

Both women were laughing at the end of her story.

"I used to hate having red hair," Alexis confided.

"Did you get teased at school?" Kate asked, concerned.

"No," Alexis grinned. "I worried that it meant I'd grow up to be like my mom and my grandma." They both busted up laughing.

They tried to hurry, but they were having a lot of fun primping together and getting ready. They ended up taking longer than they thought before finally heading downstairs for dinner.

Rick waited at the set dining table for what seemed like forever.

Did it really take women _that_ long to just change clothes?

At one point, Kate had even called down to him, telling him to take the food out of the oven.

"Aren't you two coming down?" he'd called back.

"In a minute," his daughter replied impatiently.

"And don't you even think about eating without us, Castle," Kate added.

So he waited and one minute turned into twenty. Rick couldn't decide if he was annoyed they were making him wait so long, worried that they were up there plotting something, or pleased that Kate and Alexis really seemed to enjoy spending time with each other.

But after waiting half an hour, Rick decided his dominant emotion was hungry.

"Are you girls done yet?" he eventually called, whining, up the stairs.

"Shut up!" Kate snapped, laughing at him. "You'll appreciate this when we're done!"

"But I'm hungry," he complained.

"Daddy, aren't you the one who's always telling me how smart Katie is?" Alexis threw in. "Now listen to the woman, and be quiet! We'll be down in a minute."

"You said that half an hour ago," he grumbled, loud enough for them to hear.

"Well, this time we meant it," Kate replied, as she suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, Alexis right behind her.

When he saw them, his daughter and his… Kate… his jaw dropped.

Kate and Alexis descended the stairs, arms linked together, wearing identical navy blue strapless dresses. The dresses were fitted around the bust, with an empire waist, and the skirts flowed loosely to mid-thigh. Rick was happy to see the dress hung lower over his daughter's legs than the one Kate wore. And his daughter wore flat black ballet shoes, though Kate wore tall, glossy black heels. But both women wore their hair up in a sophisticated twist, curled strands of red and brown hair strategically placed to draw attention to the bare skin of their shoulders.

Rick watched them the entire way down the stairs, amazed at how beautiful they were. They were already beautiful women, even without the special touches, but dressed up and confident in their carriage, they were stunning.

"Oh great," he finally said, sounding annoyed. They were now standing on the ground level in front of him. "Now _I_ have to go change."

"What? No," Kate complained, only half joking. "We're hungry. We don't want to wait for you to change."

"This is Richard Castle you're talking to," he informed her, full of self-importance. "Richard Castle is not going to be the dirty slob sitting at a dinner table with the two most beautiful women in New York, even in his own home. Now, excuse me, while I go change. And don't worry," he added, moving up the stairs backward, but slowly, so he could tease the girls at the bottom. "Unlike some other people in this house, I can actually change within the time quoted."

"And how long is that?" Kate challenged.

"Twenty minutes," he smirked at them, then turned down the hallway, out of sight.

Rick was back in half that time, dressed to match the girls, his suit and shirt shades of dark blue. His tie though was baby blue.

And with them all dressed up, their dinner had the feel of a night out at an expensive restaurant, even though they served themselves, and their laughter was much louder than would have been appropriate in a crowded dining room.

Castle made the best contribution of the night, when he suggested they go out to a movie after dinner.

"I really want to see that remake of Clash of the Titans. I saw the original when I took a mythology class in high school. I want to see what they've done to it," Kate said.

"What about that movie based on Nicholas Sparks' book. The one with that Hannah Montana girl." Both women wrinkled their noses at that suggestion.

"Dad, her name is Miley Cyrus," Alexis said. "And ew. Though, I was really hoping to see How to Train Your Dragon," she added hesitantly.

Kate leaned across over the table, toward Alexis. Castle was at the head of the table between them. "That sounds great. That sexy Scottish guy does one of the voices. I just love his accent!"

"Oh, really," Castle began, rolling the r just a little too much.

"No," both women exclaimed at the same time, pointing fingers at him. He smiled at them, unperturbed.

Kate turned back to Alexis, and nodded. "Dragons it is."

The three quickly cleared the table together, and prepared to leave for the movie.

They gathered coats, purses and wallet, and headed to the door. Alexis took her father's arm, and when he offered his other to Kate, she hesitated. Rick smiled at her, cocking an eyebrow. He thought he could almost hear what she was thinking. Then Alexis leaned forward and smiled up at her. Kate's gaze moved to the girl, then she smiled, too, shrugging a shoulder and wrapping her arm around Rick's.

Rick led the women out into the city, convinced that he had never before had prettier or more engaging company than he did that night.

**Author's note: I have no idea what Kate and her mother would have baked together when she was young, by my mother actually does make the BEST lasagna ever! Also, please note, I am absolutely biased, and will not be listening to reviewers who disagree with me, no matter what merit lies behind the claim. ;-) Also, the movie references were an attempt to be witty. I was trying to be ironic in the movies each person suggested. And I have nothing against Miley, I just thought a teen like Alexis might claim to dislike her. I haven't seen any of those movies, though the thing I had Kate say about Clash is actually true for me. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's warning: This chapter is only rated PG-13, but it gets all gross and romantical. I tried to keep them in character, but it's about darn time they made out for goodness' sake. :-D The first part of this chapter is the original, but then the "gross" parts have been improved upon and are now even "grosser." (and being single and maybe even a little bitter, yes, it's gross to me. :-D )**

As soon as they walked through the door, Alexis hugged both adults, bid them goodnight and hurried upstairs to bed. They had already gushed about how good the movie was on the walk home.

They watched her go, smiling until she disappeared around the corner.

"Well," Kate began, turning to face him. "I should be getting to bed too."

"Stay with me for a while," Rick said, his tone a request, though his words were more direct. "We could watch a movie. Or just talk."

"I should really…" she began, moving up one stair, her hand on the banister.

Rick's hand suddenly covered her wrist. When she stopped and looked down at him, he looked back up at her and just said, "Please?"

She hesitated long enough that he smiled, then began guiding her back down the stairs by the hand he still held. He twined his fingers though hers and led her to the sitting area, guiding her onto the seat next to him. He kept space between their bodies, but he turned to face her, holding her hand in both of his. They were both staring down at their joined hands, as Rick turned her palm up and began pressing his thumbs into her hand.

The soft hand massage was very relaxing, but Kate was oddly tense. She was hyper aware of his hands on her skin; he had never touched her like this before. She never would have let him before. The slow sweeps of his thumbs moved higher until he was rubbing her wrist. Oddly enough, just that simple touch had her breath coming faster and her face growing warm.

"I know what you're doing," she eventually said, her voice low and quiet. She kept her eyes on his hands, which were now working on her forearm, sweeping higher with every pass.

"Is it working?" he asked, smiling down at his hands.

"No," she replied.

"Hmm. I think it is."

"And what makes you think it's working?"

He looked up at her through his lashes and grinned. "Because you haven't pulled away yet."

She grinned at the challenge and withdrew her arm from his grasp. Seconds later, though, she offered him her other arm.

He took her hand, undaunted, and started from the beginning, working his way just as slowly as before over her other hand. But after a few moments, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. He closed his eyes as he savored the feel of her skin against his lips.

"You are so beautiful," he said, his lips moving against her palm, his breath warm on her skin. He finally looked up at her and saw the small smile curving the corners of her lips. Rick suddenly grinned impishly, and teased, "I've wanted to tell you that nearly every day since I met you, but I was afraid you'd shoot me if it did. Or cuff me to something and leave me there."

Kate laughed, a quiet but exuberant sound and simply said, "Smart man."

Rick smiled in response, but his eyes had a serious look to them. He reached out to skim his fingertips along the graceful curve of her neck and he noticed when she swallowed hard. But she didn't back away or shrug off his touch, so he continued, pushing her white sweater off her shoulder.

"I thought we were going to talk, Castle," Kate finally said, her voice low and a bit breathless. Though at the same time, she withdrew her arm from the sleeve of her jacket with Rick's help.

"Right, talk," he agreed. But he didn't say anything else as he leaned in and kissed Kate.

_Finally_, they both thought, her lips parting beneath his. Rick finished removing her sweater and let his hands roam over her bare shoulders. Kate leaned into him, her hands moving to rest on his thighs, supporting herself, as Rick's hands moved into her hair and began removing pins.

When Rick tilted his head, and his tongue touched hers, Kate moaned into his mouth. She felt his hand fist in her hair, and he crushed her lips harder to his own.

Though it hadn't hurt her, it excited Kate to know that a simple sound from her could make him lose control. She quickly moved her hands up his chest, under his suit jacket and pushed the fabric off his shoulders. Rick took his hands from her only long enough to remove his coat. As soon as the jacket hit the floor, he was reaching for her again. He was taken by surprise when Kate practically launched her body at him.

Rick stared up at her in surprise, and they both started laughing. His eyes studied her face, watching her laugh, her hair falling into her face, and he thought he'd never seen someone so beautiful. He readjusted them so her body was stretched out along every line of his, pulling her up his body so they were at eye level to each other.

Their laughter faded, but the mood remained light. Rick buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her curls away from her face, and pulling her down for a kiss. Kate went willingly and made herself comfortable, nestling her body against his.

Rick pulled away, looking down at their bodies. He could see and feel her breasts pressed against him. The fabric of her strapless dress was hidden by their bodies, so that she appeared nude, and Rick groaned.

"Katie," he gasped before moving to kiss her again. "You are so beautiful."

But Kate pulled away, and studied him curiously. "Hmm…" she hummed for a moment.

"What?" he asked.

"No one has ever called me Katie before."

"Oh," he replied, unsure what else to say.

Kate smiled and added, "I like it."

Rick smiled back and repeated, "Katie." He pulled her back for another kiss and added, "My Katie."

She felt the urge to call him on that comment, fully aware that his involvement with her ended as soon as he got what he obviously wanted from her, but his mouth closed over hers and his tongue touched hers and she fell into the kiss so completely that she stopped thinking about anything but the sensations he was producing.

Rick's hands moving up and down on her back were giving her chills, while his lips on her neck were heating her skin. When his hands moved down to curve over her rear end, she gasped and pulled back to look down at him. Rick squeezed gently, pulling her body hard against his, and giving her physical proof of the desire she could see burning in his eyes.

Kate slipped to the side, moving off of his chest to lie on the couch beside him. Rick tried to turn to face her, but she pushed his shoulder back until he lay flat again. Kate moved her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of the hard muscles concealed under his dress shirt. She suddenly didn't like the fact that his shirt was covering all those lovely muscles, so she slowly started unbuttoning him. She had only opened button number four when his hand covered hers and he stopped her. "Maybe we should take this upstairs," he suggested. "My daughter…"

Before he could even finish the sentence, there was a sudden a noise at the top of the stairs. When Kate heard Alexis descending, she put her hand over Castle's mouth and stared up at him in horror. Though she was covering it, she could still see in the dim light that Rick was smiling at her reaction, just before he rolled his eyes at her.

They listened as Alexis moved around the kitchen, opening a cupboard, getting a dish, opening the fridge, and then closing it again. Soon, she was heading back toward the stairs, and as she mounted the first step, Kate was hopeful that maybe they had gone unnoticed in the dark room. Until Alexis called out, "Night Dad."

Rick pulled Kate's hand away from his mouth and replied, "Good night, sweetie."

Alexis moved up the stairs, quiet long enough that Kate again became hopeful that even if the girl had noticed Castle, maybe she had missed that Kate was there too.

Alexis was at the top step when she paused again, and called out, "Night Kate," a huge smile in her voice. Then she disappeared back to her room

Kate buried her face in Rick's shoulder, mortified.

Rick's body shook with his laughter, and he pressed a kiss to her high cheek bone.

"Don't worry," he told her. "She approves."

Kate slapped at his shoulder, and then said, "It doesn't matter if she approves, Castle. Think about how you would feel if you caught Martha making out with her boyfriend."

Rick cringed in disgust.

"Exactly," she replied.

"Hey, wait," he said. "Did you just imply that I was your boyfriend?"

Kate just shook her head at him, not necessarily in answer, but exasperation that he never seemed to stick to the issue at hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He shook his head back at her and then kissed her again. "I'll make you admit it someday."


	10. Chapter 10

Sunday morning, Kate moved around the kitchen as usual. Even though it was Sunday, Kate and Alexis didn't sleep in. They were "Morning People" and that didn't change just because it was Sunday.

Kate heard Alexis's quick footsteps skipping down the stairs and across the great room.

"Good morning," Kate called over her shoulder. "Breakfast is almost- woh!"

The teen had skipped straight into the kitchen and threw her arms around Kate's waist, almost knocking the breath from the older woman and the skillet from her grasp. After securing the pan, Kate turned to drape an arm around Alexis. "What's going on?" Kate asked, suspicious but pleased by the exuberant greeting.

Alexis held Kate tighter and gushed, "I'm _so_ happy for you and my dad!"

Kate froze, frowning. Putting her hands on the girl's shoulders, Kate held her away. "Alexis, we're not…"

"I know, I know," the girl cut in. "Nothing's official and you're not even sure if you want to be saddled with my dad. Believe me, I get that."

"I just don't…"

"Want me to get my hopes up. I know. And I'm sorry I keep cutting you off, I just wanted to say… I approve? Of all the women my dad could be dating, I'm glad it's you." Alexis quickly hugged Kate again, squeezing tight in her enthusiasm.

Kate didn't want to snub Alexis, so she returned the embrace, but she had to set the record straight. "We're not dating, Alexis. Nothing happened last night." Kate was just able to conceal the dissatisfaction in that last statement. After Alexis had 'interrupted' last night, Kate had been able to think again and she'd suggested to Castle that they go to bed. Separately.

Castle had conceded, though she could tell he was disappointed, too. She'd lain awake for a long while, remembering and fantasizing before she'd eventually fallen asleep.

"I understand," Alexis said, moving around the island to sit facing Kate as she finished making breakfast. "I really get it. And I'm sorry if I'm pressuring you."

"No pressure," Kate assured, smiling as she set a plate in front of Alexis. Her smile turned sheepish as she added, "I just don't want you to be disappointed if…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry. I won't be disappointed with you. But my dad will have to answer to me if he messes up his chances with you." Kate smiled, moving to join Alexis at the bar to eat her own breakfast. Alexis turned to face her and said, "Just tell me one thing, okay?"

"Okay."

"You like him, right? I mean, you could see yourself dating him at least, right?"

And Kate _could_ see it. Much too easily. Movie nights with Rick and his daughter, game nights, nights alone with Rick in his room… Coming home from work, knowing he was waiting for her, and curling up with him to read a book.

_When did I start thinking of this as home?_ Kate suddenly wondered.

Kate pushed away the uneasy feeling that _that_ thought induced and smiled at Alexis. "Yes, I guess I do like him. He's got this charm that's annoying and endearing at the same time," Kate complained.

Alexis beamed. "I know what you mean! He thinks he's _so_ cute."

They were just about to launch into a conversation swapping Castle stories, when they heard a noise at the top of the stairs and both women turned to watch as Rick descended.

"Are we having a 'speak of the devil' moment here, ladies?" Rick asked before he walked to Alexis and kissed the top of her head, and then moved to Kate. He rested the palm of his hand at the back of Kate's neck and bent to kiss her also, though this kiss lingered.

Kate pulled away, uncomfortable with the display of affection, even _if_ Alexis approved. "No, as a matter of fact, we weren't." Alexis's eyes widened in shock at the lie, but she didn't contradict Kate. "We were just discussing Alexis's homework. She has an essay due Monday and I was asking her if our conversation the other night helped her write it."

"Right," Alexis added. "And it did. I'm sure I'll get an A on this one." Alexis hated the lie, but she figured she'd confess someday. And then she looked up at Kate and saw the woman wink at her, and she smiled. Her dad had moved to the far side of Kate and was leaning over the bar so he could see both women. Alexis decided to tease her dad, just a bit. "Are you getting paranoid in your old age, Dad?"

His eyes narrowed in a mock laugh as he humored his daughter. "It's not paranoia if everyone is, in fact, out to get you."

"Delusional, too." Kate quipped.

"Looks like it's time for Katie to move out," Rick informed them. "The two of you on your own are each smarter than me, but together, you're… diabolical. I can't have the two of you ganging up on me in my own house."

Both women laughed, brushing his words off for the teasing they were.

"So, what are we doing today, ladies?" Rick asked as he grabbed a piece of fruit from a bowl and then stole a sip of Kate's coffee.

"Ooo," Alexis breathed. "Whenever he says _that_, he usually has something great in mind."

"I don't know if you should tell Kate that, sweetie. 'Great' to you and me may not be so great to Detective Beckett."

Kate rolled her eyes. _Does he think I'm a snob?_ She wondered. _Or is he being one?_ "I'm sure whatever you have planned will be fine."

"Okay," Rick relented, snagging Kate's coffee cup again.

"Stop that!" she snapped, taking the nearly full mug gently from his hands.

"I was thinking we could all go shopping today."

"Oh," both women replied simultaneously.

Rick laughed at them, "That is the most unenthusiastic response I've ever gotten for shopping."

"I don't really like to shop," both women answered again. They each turned to look at each other and started laughing.

"Did you two script that?" Rick wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer.

"Why don't we go to the natural history museum?" Kate suggested when her laughter had faded.

"Ooo, I've been dying to see the Egyptian exhibit! And I'll get extra credit for world history if I go," Alexis said.

"Museum it is," Castle proclaimed.

Both women rose from their chairs then to clear away their breakfast dishes. But when they moved off to head upstairs, Rick halted Kate with a hand on her wrist.

"Castle?" Kate asked, confused.

But Rick just watched Alexis climb the stairs until she was out of sight. As soon as he heard the teen's bedroom door click shut, he pulled Kate into his arms.

"Good morning, Katie," Rick said, his voice low, as he lowered his head to kiss her.

She hadn't planned on letting him kiss her. But after several long moments, her body grew warm. Kate pulled away and replied, breathily, "Morning, Ricky."

Rick gave a low chuckle and moved to kiss her again, his hands fanning out across her lower back.

But Kate pulled away. "Castle," she reprimanded him, her voice closer to normal.

Rick didn't notice her look grow serious, otherwise he wouldn't have moved in to kiss her neck. "What?" he asked, skimming his lips over her skin. When he felt her body grow tense, he pulled away, concerned, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Alexis…"

"Is upstairs," he finished for her. "And she won't reappear for at least half an hour." He tried to pull her close again, but Kate resisted.

She put her hands on his arms and broke his hold on her body. "I don't think anything should happen… between us… while Alexis is home."

"That's a good idea, and I completely agree with you. But I can't even kiss you good morning?"

"I just don't want Alexis to be hurt if this doesn't work out."

Rick pulled her body against his again, ignoring her slight resistance. "But what if it does?" he challenged.

Kate allowed a small smile and relaxed into his embrace. "Don't get ahead of yourself there, Ricky. I could barely stand you before last week."

Rick narrowed his eyes at her and replied, "I know you're only saying that to hassle me, so I'll let it slide this time."

"Oh, is that right?" she challenged, her hands sliding up his chest to lock around his neck. "And what will you do to me if I keep it up?"

"I know ways of torture," he informed her, his voice low again as he moved to kiss along the curve of her neck. "That last hours… and hours… and hours."

Shivers tore through her body, but before she could do what she really wanted and melt into Castle and let him kiss her until she forgot her own name, she pushed him away. With her hands on his shoulders, holding him away from her body and breathing heavily, Kate said, "Stop. Alexis will be expecting us to be ready to go when she comes back down."

Rick sighed in defeat, mostly because he agreed with her. "Just kiss me- really kiss me- _once_ and I'll let you go without anymore fight."

Kate studied him for a long moment, deciding. A small, sexy smile curved her lips and she countered, "Go now and I'll let you kiss me… as much as you want… after Alexis goes to bed tonight."

"You're cruel!" Rick groaned in pain, but quickly let go of Kate and moved to head upstairs.

"And you have to keep your hands _off of me_ until then," Kate called after him.

"I can do it if you can!" he challenged before disappearing upstairs.

Kate chuckled, amazed he could still underestimate her self control after she'd been denying her feelings for Castle for over a year. _Granted, he doesn't know that_, Kate mused.

Kate finally moved upstairs to get ready, wondering what else the day could possibly have in store for her.

**Author's Note: All of the previous chapters had already been typed up, I had just changed and/or added scenes. So the rest of the chapters may take a bit longer to get up, because I still have to write them.**

**I wanted to ask everyone for some feedback. In the next chapter I'm going to have Rick and Kate kiss in public and I was wondering what you think. Should they be 'caught' by Alexis or by paparazzi? I have ideas for both, but I want to know what everyone else would like to see.**

**Thank you all, in advance, for the feedback!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I guess I should have clarified that either way Rick and Kate get caught kissing, I wasn't going to let the drama get in the way. This was kind of a wish fulfillment type story, so I hadn't planned on writing drama. But the votes leaned toward… well, I'll let you figure that out. :-D Oh, and I guess I should also warn you that I am a total California girl. The closest I have even been to New York is Wichita, Kansas, so, yeah… not close AT ALL! That said, I have no idea what the Museum of Natural History is like, so please forgive me for being vague and/or wrong. My knowledge of the East coast is severely limited to what I see on Castle. Which is ironic, because the show is filmed on the West Coast!**

For two hours, Kate, Alexis and Rick wandered the museum, saving the Egypt Exhibit for last. Alexis planned on staying there as long as she could to get ideas for her extra credit assignment. As the three moved through the halls of the museum, they walked close together, chatting; they discussed the exhibits, Castle sometimes entertaining the women with stories inspired in the moment by what they saw. Sometimes Alexis wandered off to get a closer look at something, or she ran ahead to see something she was excited about. But Rick and Kate walked side by side the whole afternoon. They walked so close together, their hands brushed with every other step, but they didn't hold hands.

Kate was hyper aware of Alexis and the looks the teen had been giving the adults. And Rick was ever conscious of a promise Kate had made that morning contingent upon him keeping his hands to himself. And he totally and completely trusted Kate to keep her work and not let him even hug her goodnight if he didn't 'behave' in public.

As they finally made their way toward the Egypt room, Alexis on one side of Rick, Kate on the other, Alexis casually commented, "You know, it won't _kill_ me if I just happened to see you two holding hands. You don't have to hide that kind of thing from me."

"We're not hiding anything, Lexi," Kate was the one to answer. She grinned and added, "I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I _want_ to hold his hand."

Alexis smiled her sweet, dimpled smile and Kate, returning the smile, realized something in that moment. Kate realized she _wanted_ this. She wanted weekends spent exploring the city she loved with Alexis and Rick. She wanted a home to go to every night, knowing someone would be there to ask her about her day. She wanted people she loved who she could ask about _their_ day. She wanted to come home every night to Rick, and she was finally able to admit it was because she loved him like she'd never loved anyone before him.

Kate also realized how much she'd grown to love Alexis in the short time she'd known the girl. She was smart and fun and wise and innocent. And Alexis needed a mother. Kate doubted her ability to fill that role, but she wanted to try. With that impulse came the desire to protect the girl as well. Kate wanted to protect Alexis from the bad people in this city that she met daily in her job. She wanted to protect the teen from pain, physical and emotional; which meant she had to protect Alexis from whatever consequences might come from dating the girl's father.

As soon as they entered the Egypt room, Alexis moved away from the adults, leaving them standing alone in the center of the room. She approached an exhibit to study the details closer. And Kate turned to Rick and did the same thing.

After several long moments of pretending he didn't notice Kate closely studying his face, Rick finally asked, "What?" He finally turned to look at her and her 'serious face' began to scare him.

"I really care about Alexis," Kate admitted.

Rick smiled. "Well, that's good!"

Before he could make a joke of it, Kate continued, "I mean, I really love her. And I don't want anything that happens between us to cause her pain."

"Alexis is a big girl…" Rick started, but Kate cut him off.

"No, Rick. She's not. She acts the part because that's who she _wants_ to be, but she's still a child. Having once been a fifteen year old girl myself, I should know."

Rick turned to watch his daughter and at that moment, Alexis spun and called, "Dad, look!" He was suddenly reminded of Alexis at eight. At that age, she had wanted to share everything with her father, so for a year she called to Rick nearly every other minute, "Daddy, look!"

"I'll be right there, Pumpkin," Rick called to Alexis. He studied her a minute longer, comparing the eight year old child to the young woman studying a sarcophagus and he smiled tenderly. He finally turned back to Kate and said, "You're right. But you're wrong, too. Alexis doesn't just act the part; that _is_ who she is. Part of her is still that child who wants a mom and wants her dad to be happy. But she's old enough to know life doesn't always turn out how you'd like it to. You're making things a lot more complicated than they need to be, Kate." Rick reached out with both hands to grasp hers and held tighter when she tried to pull her hands back. "I'm not about to hide our relationship from my daughter. We're either together- the _three_ of us- or your premonition of doom will come true."

Kate studied his eyes as she fought to sort out her feelings. She knew she wanted what he was saying, but she was worried for Alexis and for herself. "I want us to be together," she finally admitted. "But I don't ever want Alexis to hurt… especially over something I've done."

"I know exactly how you feel," Rick smiled sardonically. "It's called being a parent. But she's going to hurt _some_ time in life, and the only thing we can do is be there for her when she needs us. Even if _we're_ not an _us_." Rick frowned after that last statement, then added, "You know what I mean?"

Kate smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I just want her to know I'll always be there for her, even if you and I don't…"

"She knows," Rick assured, then pulled Kate closer, guiding her arms to lock around him. He held her close and added sternly, "And will you _please_ just stop assuming we won't work?"

"Look at the facts, Castle," she reasoned. "You don't have the best track record with women. And I'm 32 and still single, so my record can't be much better, can it?"

"But look at us," Rick argued. "We haven't even slept together, and I still find you interesting, a year and a half later. Imagine how much _more_ interesting I'll find you once we finally do sleep together."

Kate smiled, teasing, "You'd find me absolutely _fascinating_."

Rick smiled just before pulling her in and kissing her as if there were no other people in the room. A long, open mouthed kiss Rick usually would have saved for the bedroom. Rick was so excited that he was finally _allowed_ to touch her- to taste her- that he forgot where he was and who else was in the room and let himself get swept away in the kiss.

Too soon, there was the faint, delicate sound of someone pointedly clearing her throat. And then Alexis said, "Dad!"

Rick broke the kiss, mumbled, "Yes, sweetie," then moved to continue kissing Kate, his lips nibbling along her neck.

In a droll voice, Alexis informed him, "You're drawing more attention than the mummy exhibit."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed, not removing his lips from Kate's skin.

But Kate regained her mental faculties then and nearly shoved Rick's body away from her own.

Rick grinned at her, taking in her flushed skin, her accelerated breathing, and he couldn't feel sorry for taking that kiss, even if he did lose his chance at more, later. But judging by her unguarded response to his kiss, he didn't imagine he'd have a difficult time persuading her.

Rick and Kate finally turned their attention to the exhibit and let Alexis tell them about her favorite parts. The adults followed as Alexis wandered around, but this time, Rick took hold of Kate's hand and didn't let go for the rest of the afternoon. Not that Kate offered any resistance. Though they both noticed Alexis's grin every time she glanced at them.

**Author's note: See, no big deal. Alexis just teases them a little. I'm sorry if the ending is a little off. I'm super tired after taking Nyquil (I'm a little sniffly) and I still had to write the ending. But I wanted to get this up before I go to bed for the night. I guess I still feel bad for neglecting this story for, what was it, five months? **


	12. Chapter 12

When the small group arrived at the loft, Rick unlocked the front door and pushed it open for the ladies to precede him. He paused long enough to make sure the door was locked behind him, and then followed the women into the great room.

Alexis huffed an exhausted sounding sigh and announced, "I'm beat! I think I'll go take a shower."

"That sounds wonderful," Kate agreed. "I think I'll do that, too. Then maybe be could all watch a movie before bed?"

"Sure, that would be fun," Alexis said before moving toward the stairs.

Castle wrapped an arm around Kate's waist as they moved to follow Alexis upstairs. "I could help you with your shower, if you like?" he asked, his voice low.

"Ew, Dad!" Alexis complained. "As much as I love you both, you could at least wait until I'm out of earshot before propositioning your girlfriend!"

Rick chuckled, but Kate elbowed him in the gut- not too hard, but hard enough to turn his laugh into an, 'oof.'

"I will be showering _alone_," Kate informed both Castles.

Alexis made a face, but Rick rubbed his belly where her elbow had landed and grumbled, "I was just joking."

"Sure you were, Ricky/Dad," both women said at the same time, though each used the appropriate noun for Castle.

The women laughed and the three went their separate ways in the upstairs hallway.

As Kate stood under the hot streaming water, she had to push away the regret. She had a feeling it would have been a lot of fun to let Castle join her in the shower. But then the man had to go and ruin the possibility by announcing something like that in front of Alexis. Kate was okay with the girl knowing she was dating Rick. And she knew Alexis was smart enough to realize that her dad had sex with his girlfriends. But the child certainly didn't need to know _any_ of the details of her dad's sex life- not where or when or anything else; especially if his sex life involved Kate. So Kate had to say no to the shower company for her own peace of mind.

Instead of thinking of regrets during her entire shower, Kate thought back over her day at the museum. The first half of the day had been tense and even a little awkward. But the rest of their time had been drastically different. Kate had relaxed and let some of her walls down. Rick had held Kate's hand and she'd not only allowed it, she'd enjoyed it. The man found myriad opportunities to touch her, and she'd welcomed each one.

Though she felt relaxed and comfortable around Rick then, every so often he'd touch her in a certain way that would heat her skin and make her anxious to get him home. He'd put his hand on the small of her back, or brush her hair over her shoulder, or even smile at her warmly, and Kate would melt.

Kate also found herself moving to touch Rick as well; a hand on his shoulder, or his arm; leaning against his side as they both studied a display in the museum. Once she'd leaned against him and Rick had put his fingertips under her chin, turning her face up to his so he could kiss her. She would have let him continue kissing her, but he'd pulled away, breathing quickly. Then he'd pulled her body closer to his and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

Rick sighed happily. "I love… this exhibit," he said quickly, covering what he'd actually been about to say.

Kate looked up at him and smirked knowingly. "Really?" she asked, skeptical. "I had no idea you were so interested in Egyptology."

Rick laughed, knowing he was caught and happy that she wasn't running for the hills. Yet. "There are many things you don't know about me, Detective," He teased.

"Oh?" she turned and slid her palms up his chest, locking her hands behind his neck. "I'll make you tell me."

"Yeah? How?"

"I know a few tortures myself," she informed him.

Rick had groaned quietly then, vaguely aware of their public setting, and he had moved to really kiss Kate for the second time that day.

"Wow, maybe we should just go home now," Alexis's voice cut through the desire haze.

"That is a fabulous idea," Rick had agreed, barely pulling away from Kate.

And as Kate now stood under the hot water, she didn't bother to remember the quiet cab ride home, but relived the kiss over and over for several long minutes. Smelling like her favorite cherry scented soap and feeling refreshed, Kate finally shut off the water and dried off.

She idly wondered what she should wear to watch a movie when her eyes found her thick white terry cloth bathrobe. She grabbed it and donned it, grinning, as she headed to her room in search of something she'd once told Castle she'd never wear while staying in his house.

Kate had taken longer in the shower than she'd planned, so when she finally made it down stairs, Rick was just wrapping a hair band around the end of a French braid he'd made in Alexis's hair.

"Perfect timing," Rick noted. "Come over here," he added, guiding Kate to sit on the floor in front of him when she complied.

Alexis started Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and Rick began combing Kate's still wet hair. Even though Kate had already brushed it, it felt nice letting someone else play with her hair. Kate closed her eyes and missed half of the movie as she focused on the pleasure of Rick's fingers pulling gently through her hair.

Eventually, Kate moved her head out of Castle's reach, and she moved to sit beside him on the couch, Alexis on his other side. Kate made herself comfortable, curling her legs up onto the couch beside her and leaning into Rick's side, mirroring Alexis's position.

Every so often, Alexis would giggle over something silly that happened in the movie, and make the adults laugh in response. Alexis even sang along with a few of the songs, and sometimes Rick joined in. He really seemed to enjoy the Captain Hammer scenes the most. When the movie ended, Kate turned to look at them and wondered aloud, "How many times have you two seen this movie?"

"Only five of six times," Alexis said.

"This week," Rick added, making Kate laugh.

"It is pretty funny." Kate thought about it for a second then added, "I'm almost glad Captain Hammer was defeated by Dr. Horrible. The guy was a joke!"

"What!" Rick cried. "Captain Hammer was genius!"

Both women simply laughed at him, before Alexis yawned and stood.

"I think I'll go to bed now. I have school tomorrow."

"Good idea," Kate agreed. "I need to be at the precinct early, too."

"That's what I love about not actually being a cop," Rick gloated. "We don't have a case, so I don't have to be in early."

Kate grabbed a throw pillow and smacked Rick in the chest, making Alexis laugh at him. Grinning anyway, Rick lifted his hands to his daughter and let her pull him to his feet. Kate stood also, assuming they'd all be going to bed now. Alexis hugged her father for a long moment, told him she loved him and then pulled away. Before she was released, though, Rick kissed her red hair, told her he loved her too, and squeezed her tight once more.

And then Alexis looked up at Kate and hesitated. Kate wanted to remove all of the teen's doubts. She smiled warmly and opened her arms to the girl. "Good night, Lexi."

Alexis stepped to Kate with no more uncertainty and hugged the older woman tight. "Good night, Kate," Alexis said. She tried very hard to sound casual when she added, "I love you."

Kate tensed in surprise for a second, but quickly wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders and pressed her cheek to Alexis's red hair. "I love you too, sweetheart."

When they let go, Alexis was beaming and Kate couldn't- and didn't want to- stop herself from smiling in response.

"Sweet dreams," Kate added and Alexis turned to go to bed. When Kate looked at Rick, he was smiling sentimentally at her. Kate almost snapped, 'what?' but she already knew 'what.' So instead she rolled her eyes at him. "Night, Castle," she finally said, moving around him.

Rick's arm snaked around her waist and stopped her, pulling her body against his. "Where do you think you are going?" he demanded.

"I'm going to bed," she informed him in a 'duh' tone of voice.

"No, you're not," Castle told her, and then he sat on the couch again, pulling her down with him. "You made me a promise this morning, and it's now time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

"But you didn't hold up your end," Kate argued, trying to pull away.

"What! Yes I did!" he exclaimed, adjusting his hold on her.

"No, you didn't, Castle. You were supposed to keep your grubby hands to yourself, and you didn't."

"But you let me! And I was just trying to make a point, so it doesn't count. And my hands aren't grubby." He settled her body against his own again, and added, "You promised you'd let me kiss you."

Kate sighed wearily, overacting just a bit, and said, "If I must." She turned her face toward Rick's, closed her eyes and tilted her face up in expectation- and apparent boredom. Rick narrowed his eyes at her and didn't know whether to kiss her and be done with it, walk away in annoyance, or drape her over his knees and spank her… though this _was_ Detective Beckett he was musing about, and he seriously doubted his _ability_ to force her over his knee… unless she wanted to be there.

He shook those thoughts away and in the end, he did none of those things. Instead, his eyes went to the gap in the hem of her robe, where all night a glimpse of her thigh had been visible, teasing him. After several long seconds of studying it with his eyes, Rick finally put his hand out to study her thigh with his fingertips. Rick noticed the tremors that shook her body and felt the goose bumps that broke out over her skin. Rick then picked up her legs and draped the long limbs over his lap. Kate leaned back against the arm of the couch and simply enjoyed the feel of Rick's hands moving over her legs.

Rick leaned down to stretch out with her on the couch, and as his range moved, his hand moved higher up her leg, under her robe. He was just about to lean in to kiss her, when he was distracted by what he was feeling- or, more accurately, by what he wasn't feeling.

He suddenly pulled away and demanded, "What are you wearing under this?"

Kate opened her eyes, clearly annoyed, and snapped, "Nothing!" then she blushed and added, "I mean, nothing I'm going to be showing you."

"Seriously, though," Rick said, his tone indicating his intent. "You _are_ wearing something underneath, right?"

Kate reached out and stopped his hand before it could curve over her rear. "Of course I am."

"I wanna see," Rick said, pulling his hand from her grasp and reaching for the belt of her robe.

"I don't think we should do this here," Kate said, stopping him with her hands again.

"Then come to bed with me," Rick said, his voice low.

"I don't…" Kate hesitated, trying to think with his body pressed along hers. "I want to take things slow."

Rick laughed sarcastically. "If you and I go any slower, glaciers will start laughing at us." He sat up then, pulling Kate with him and tried to hide his sigh.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" Kate asked, not hiding her own disappointment.

"No," he said, trying to laugh though he wanted to cry- figuratively, of course. "You want to go slow, and I want to respect your wishes. But if I kiss you know, I can guarantee I won't stop for hours. Katie," he became serious, holding both her hands in his. "You're making things a lot more complicated than they need to be. I've wanted you since I first time I saw you, and I know you want me, too. If it's love you've been waiting for, then rest assured, I love you. I've been in love with you for a long time now. And if you love me- at _all_- things shouldn't be this complicated."

Kate stared at him, wide-eyed, as she tried to think of a response. Her mouth even opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.

Rick couldn't help laughing at her; he'd never seen her so flabbergasted before. He stood and pulled her to her feet also. "Come on," Rick said, still pulling her by one hand toward the stairs. "Just so you know," Rick said to her over his shoulder. "Aside from Alexis and my mother, it's been years since I've told _any_ woman that I love her."

Rick glanced back at her face to see her response when she didn't speak and he saw that she was smiling. She finally said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Rick simply grinned back at her.

He stopped outside her bedroom door and turned to her. He asked pointedly, "Are you _sure_ you don't want to change your mind about…"

Instead of joking, Kate's reply was serious. "You've given me a lot to think about. I need… some time… to think."

"Don't think too hard," Rick teased. "Good night, Katie." He leaned in and kissed the corner of her jaw, still not trusting himself to kiss her mouth. When he pulled away, he moved his hand to cup her face where he'd kissed her. "Whatever you think about… just remember that I love you." His fingers moved to tilt her chin up and made sure he held her eyes with his. "You know me, Kate. I wouldn't lie about something like that just to… get something from you."

Kate nodded in response, whispered, "I know," and then watched as Rick turned and walked the few steps to his own room.

**Author's note: Hey, I think this is my longest chapter ever! (Chapter 8 doesn't count 'cause it was originally two chapters that got mooshed together during rewrite). Which hopefully makes up for the fact that I didn't post sooner. Darn school for getting in the way of my fanfiction writing! Can you believe it? A quiz and a midterm in the same class in the same week! Yuck! Chapter 13 is already written though, so it will be up soon… I just have to type it up. And that might be the last chapter… ?**

**Oh, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is hilarious! It was an internet movie that Nathan Fillion was in, and he is amazing as Captain Hammer! And by amazing, I mean amazingly-bad. So, bad in a good way. He's so cheesey! I think I know most of the songs by heart… :-D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Warning: Yeah, this one is definitely for more mature readers, though not TOO explicit, I think.**

Kate lay in bed, doing just what she'd said she would. She was thinking.

_Rick said he loves me_, Kate thought.

It shouldn't have surprised her, the way he'd been acting lately, but the famous 'Richard Castle' telling her he loved her… she never would have believed the story if she'd read about it in a tabloid. _He's just trying to get in her pants_, is what she would have thought.

But Rick had gracefully- though obviously disappointedly- accepted Kate's wishes and he hadn't pushed her to sleep with him. And he'd been right: Kate knew him better than to believe he'd lie about being in love with her if he wasn't, just to get her to sleep with him.

_He said he loves me_, Kate marveled. _And Alexis did, too_. And for Kate, that fact struck harder than Rick's admission. She knew Rick's attachment to his family, his devotion to his little girl. Rick would do whatever he could to protect Alexis from a casual relationship, especially if the girl respected the woman as much as she obviously looked up to Kate. Rick wouldn't encourage a relationship like that between them unless…

_He really does love me_, Kate concluded.

This last admission led Kate to analyze her own feelings. Regarding Alexis, the conclusion was easy to make; Kate loved the girl like the daughter she'd yet to have. But her feelings for Rick were a little more complicated to figure out.

Qualities she'd once found annoying she now thought were… endearing. Maybe even admirable. And if she were honest, he'd only been annoying because she'd been fighting the attraction so hard.

Yes, she decided, she was definitely attracted to him.

She knew he was fun and he met the world with so much joy. He met even their difficult cases with a joke. But he knew when Kate needed him to be serious, too, and he was always there for her. She'd seen him with his family often enough, especially recently, to know he was unswervingly loyal and supportive. And if she let him, she knew he'd be the same for her.

Kate wanted that. She wanted Castle's support and unfailing smile and the joy he brought to everything in his life. She wanted his keen mind to keep her on her toes. She wanted to come home to him and his family every night, knowing they would be a safe haven for her if she let them.

And that desire made it easy for her to finally conclude, _I love him, too_. All of her worries suddenly melted away when she admitted that. Alexis getting hurt, Kate getting hurt, all of it melted away as she realized that it didn't matter. Things changed, but as long as she could let the Castles love her and love them with her whole heart in return, it didn't matter what would happen tomorrow. Only letting them know that she loved them, too- _today_- mattered.

_The man says he loves me- I love him too- and I'm sleeping in here _alone_?_

Kate threw back the covers and as she donned her robe, she came up with a plan. Though she knew she'd give herself to him tonight- if he was even still awake- she couldn't make it easy, now could she?

Kate knocked tentatively on his closed bedroom door, quietly in case he was already asleep.

Kate couldn't hear anything for a long moment, until Rick finally called, "Come in, Alexis."

She opened the door slowly and said, "It's not Alexis."

"Kate!" He exclaimed, surprised. And then he panicked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," she assured and then she hesitated. "I just…" Instead of continuing, she turned and closed the door behind her and then approached Rick's bed.

"What's wrong?" he prompted when she started worrying her bottom lip and looking generally uncomfortable.

"Rick," she said uncomfortably. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Kate," he replied, sitting up in bed and making sure to hold the covers up over his stomach. "Is everything okay?" he asked again.

"No. I had to tell you something." Her gaze stayed riveted on his bare chest, though Castle took that as her reluctance to meet his eyes.

"Please tell me what's wrong? You can tell me anything."

Kate looked away and for a long moment she was silent. Finally she moved to kneel on his bed, sitting back on her feet. "I lied," she finally confessed in a small and quiet voice.

Rick's response to that small confession was a physical pain in his chest. But he cautioned himself not to jump to conclusions and as calmly as he could, he asked, "What did you lie about, Katie?"

When Kate _finally_ made eye contact, Rick saw it, there in here eyes… amusement. Her lips slowly curved into a mischievous grin and she finally spoke. "Do you remember when I told you I wouldn't be wearing anything silky or lacy while I was staying here?" Before he could respond, she concluded, "I lied." She quickly untied her robe and opened it as she rose up onto her knees, letting the white terry cloth fall back onto the bed.

Stunned, Rick simply stared in awe at her silk and lace covered- if you could call it _covered_- body for a long moment. And then his brain registered the trick she'd played on him- he remembered his physical response to it- and he glared at her.

"You!" he eventually gasped, but couldn't think of an appropriate name to call her; he wanted to curse at her for her trick while he simultaneously wanted to call her any and every endearment he could think of. Instead, he sprang forward- quicker than Kate thought him capable of moving- grabbed a fistful of lace and silk, and yanked her forward.

"Hey!" she complained, landing on top of Rick. She barely had time to register that nothing but her lacy nightie separated their bare bodies. She rolled to the side and inspected the damage to her nightie as Rick rolled with her in an attempt to cover his nudity against her body. "This was expensive!" she complained when she found the holes his fingers had torn in the delicate material.

Rick pushed her flat onto her back and moved over her. "I'll buy you another one," he informed her. His fingers found the little holes again and tore the nightie down the front. "I'll buy you a hundred of them," he said, leaning down to kiss the soft expanse of skin down the center of her bared chest. "And I'll tear every single one of them off of you if I have to," he added, pressing his body down upon hers.

Kate laughed exuberantly, and while Rick was preoccupied by the sound of her laughter and the sight of her body, Kate sprang. She wrestled Rick onto his back- though he put up little resistance- and rose to sit over him, her knees on the bed on either side of his body.

"You didn't have to tear it," she informed him. Kate finished tearing open the lace and then let it drop behind her as easily as she had shed the robe. She planted her hands on his chest and leaned over him. "All you had to do was ask nicely and I would have removed it for you."

"Oh?" he asked, to which Kate nodded. "Then would you please remove those?" he asked, staring down at her matching black lace panties.

Kate slowly stood up on the bed, one foot on either side of Rick's hips. She made a show of sliding her fingers beneath the waistband and wriggling her hips out of the skimpy garment. She kicked the scrap of lace to the floor and remained standing over him.

Rick sat up, his hands moving to touch her. They wrapped first around her calves, sliding up her long legs. He twisted to kiss the outside of one thigh, right over a spot where he had noticed earlier that evening she had a single freckle. "You are _so_ beautiful," he said against the skin of her thigh. His hands moved up her legs to grasp her hips and she fell when he pulled. She landed straddling his lap and quickly decided there were worse places she could have fallen to. And there were definitely worse people she could have fallen _for_.

Kate met his gaze with her own and smiled softly. "I love you," she confessed quietly.

Rick smiled at her, his grin turning teasing as he said, "I know." He kissed her quickly, and then added, "I've always wanted to say that. Very Han Solo, don't you think?"

Kate laughed in response, wrapped a hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth to hers in a consuming kiss. "You talk too much," she murmured against his lips and then tried to kiss him again.

Rick held her back a little. "You know I have to get you back for tricking me like that," he informed her, his face totally serious.

"Oh, really?" she challenged, moving her hips distractingly over his lap. "You think you can trick me? I'm smarter than you, Castle."

"I know ways of torture that will make you scream," he challenged.

"Oh?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant though her throat was involuntarily constricting, lowering her voice. "Prove it."

"Yes," Rick just managed to say before shoving his fingers into her hair and consuming her lips with his own.

And wouldn't you know, Rick Castle managed to find a particular sweet torture that did in fact make Kate Beckett scream.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: okay, so this one is rated M. Just to be on the safe side.**

Kate woke slowly to gentle tugging on her hair; Castle was running his fingers through it rhythmically, playing with her nearly dry hair. They'd taken a long shower together- Kate glanced at the clock- two hours ago, before eventually curling up and sleeping for a while.

"You're a lot… cuddlier than I would have thought," Rick noted softly, indicating that he'd noticed when she'd woken up. His hand began trailing up and down her back gently, making Kate shiver in pleasure.

"Mmmm… don't tell the guys," she mumbled. Kate readjusted, nuzzling her head against Rick's shoulder, and wrapping her arm and leg- which were currently draped over his body- more tightly around him. "I do have a reputation to maintain." Kate gently slid her leg up his body, over his groin and rested on his lower stomach.

Rick groaned. "Careful, or you'll wake Big Castle."

"Big Castle?" she asked, skeptical- not necessarily about the validity of the moniker, but the ego behind it.

Kate could hear the grin in his voice when he replied, "You know from experience now that _that_ title is accurate." Kate only chuckled in response so Castle added, "Besides, it hurts his feelings when I call him 'Little Castle.'"

"Aww…" she teased, running her leg gently over him again. "Is Little Castle sensitive?"

Rick chuckled huskily, his arm wrapping tightly around Kate's shoulders and pulling her closer. "Not at the moment," he answered. "But do that with your leg again and he'll show you just how sensitive he can be."

Kate laughed again but did as he suggested and then reached out and took him in her hand. She squeezed gently and cooed, "Aww, he's crying. He _is_ sensitive."

"Minx," Rick gasped and pushed Kate onto her back. At least, she would have been on her back, except that she pushed back and attempted to climb on top of him. After a long moment of playful struggle, Kate finally landed on her back, Rick pinning her wrists to the bed above her head.

He moved down, trailing nibbling kisses across her chest and making her moan. He readjusted his hold on her, moving both her wrists into one of his bigger hands. His now free hand moved to follow the trail of kisses he left across her skin.

"I could get out of this hold if I wanted to, you know," she informed him, trying to sound in control, though she lost some of the effect when her voice came out breathy and trembling.

"I know," Rick acknowledged. "But I also know you don't really want to do that, now do you?" To prove his point, he took a particularly sensitive peak of flesh into his mouth and made her moan again.

"Maybe I do," she gasped urgently. She slipped one hand easily from his grasp and made a fist in his hair, pulling his head up to hers and taking a deep kiss.

Rick responded just as urgently, gasping, "I love you," between kisses. It was only one of at least a dozen times that night he'd told her that he loved her and Kate's heart still swelled in response each time he said it. She had never realized how much she craved to hear those words from a man, but most especially from Castle. Those three simple words made her love him even more, though only half the time did she say them in return. The other half, she made a teasing retort, like now.

"Then love me, already," Kate gasped. Her now free hands went to his rear end and squeezed, yanking his body closer.

Risk was poised over her, ready to take her when her cell phone on the night table buzzed.

Rick groaned. "Ignore it," he pleaded, kissing her. And in an attempt to distract her, he began pressing into her.

But when the theme song for Cops began blaring from her phone, Kate slapped his left cheek- _not_ the one on his face- and told him, "I _have_ to get it. It's Esposito. There's probably a body."

Rick collapsed onto her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and groaning. Kate tapped his backside again and said, "Come on. Get up"

Rick rolled off of her, onto the bed and Kate followed him, draping her torso over his to reach across him for her phone.

They both noticed her bare breasts pressed against his chest and Kate had to clear her throat before she could answer her phone in a normal- almost- voice. "Beckett."

"Hey, you okay?" Esposito asked, hearing something off in his boss's tone.

"Sure, I'm fine," she snapped. "I'm assuming you didn't call just to ask how I'm doing, seeing as it's four in the morning. So what's up?"

"Yeah, we've got a body. Real freaky one, too." He gave her the address and then asked, "How soon can you be here?"

Kate looked down at Castle and said, "Half hour?" which made Rick smile.

"Great," Esposito said. Then he added, "I'll call Castle for you."

"No!" Kate snapped. She recovered quickly and added, "I'm staying with him, remember? I'll just go tell him."

"Oops," Javier said, and Beckett could hear the grin in his voice. "Ryan is already calling him."

Just then, a second phone buzzed and started singing Let's Hear It For The Boy.

"Is that Castle's phone I hear? It's gotta be, he's got that gay ring tone set especially for Ryan." Esposito teased "Are you two in the same room? Or, are you in the same _bed_room?"

The momentary horror and fear of getting caught sleeping with Richard Castle faded and then Kate got angry. "My personal life is none of your business, Detective," she replied frostily. "And neither is where or with whom I sleep."

Kate snapped her phone shut before the man-child on the other end could respond to that. She threw the phone onto the foot of the bed, sighed, and propped her chin on Rick's chest. "The guys know," she informed him. "About us."

"Good," Rick replied, running his hands up her arms and into her hair. "I wouldn't want to try to hide our relationship from them when I can't even look at you without wanting you again."

"Relationship?" she asked skeptically.

Rick glared at her- as much as he could with her naked body draped over him- and he informed her, "You let me in tonight, Katie. I'm never letting you go, now."

"Good." Kate smiled and moved to kiss Rick just as urgently as she had before they were interrupted.

Moments later, Rick held her away and asked, "Don't we have a date with a dead body?"

"He's already dead. He can wait a few more minutes."

"Minutes!" he asked skeptically. "I should hope you know me better than that by now."

Kate groaned in real disappointment, maybe even hamming it up a little bit. "You're right," She complained. Then she started moving away from him. "I guess we should get dressed."

"No, no, no!" Castle whined, acting almost like a child whose Christmas was about to be cancelled. "I can make it minutes," he promised in the voice of a boy who was promising to be to be extra good this year.

Kate laughed but allowed Rick to keep her in bed for many long minutes.

Almost an hour later, Kate and Rick approached the crime scene, walking separately toward annoyed looking detectives, Ryan and Esposito.

"Took you long enough," Ryan complained.

Kate could hear Rick chuckle quietly and was just able to keep her poker face in place… until she glanced over at Castle. And a small smile broke the solemnity of her face.

"Really?" Esposito asked, sarcastically. "You made all of us wait so you two could play Slap and Tickle?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Detective," Kate replied, though her bluff was ruined somewhat by Rick's impish grin.

"Oh, come on! You're both wearing 'I Just Got Me Some' expressions."

"Don't we have a dead body waiting on us?" Kate asked impatiently.

The group turned, Kate leading the way to where she saw her friend and neighborhood ME kneeling over a body. Esposito took the opportunity to whisper to Castle, "Come on, man. You gotta tell us. Did you an' Beckett…"

Castle smirked, but was smart enough not to answer with Kate so close. Although, he did step more quickly and when he caught up to Kate, he put his hand on her back, between her shoulder blades. And the fact that she allowed the touch- she didn't acknowledge him in any other way, she simply allowed the touch- said more to Esposito and Ryan than any long winded stories Castle might have tried to spin for them.

The ME looked up to see her friend letting Writer-Boy touch her- at a crime scene no less- and Lanie smiled. She called out to Ryan and Esposito, "You two owe me fifty bucks!"

Kate rolled her eyes- Castle smiled impishly- and she said, "What have we got so far?"

Lanie eyed the couple standing over her and replied, "I'm guessing an all-nighter leading up to a quickie before arriving at the scene."

"How can you tell what the vic did all night?" Rick asked, being a smart ass.

"I wasn't talking about our vic," Lanie countered.

Something caught Ryan's eye and he lifted the vic's hand, careful not to contaminate any possible evidence. "Look at this," he said, revealing a lightly rumpled tabloid cover, prominently displaying a full color shot of Kate and Rick attempting to devour each other at the Natural History Museum.

"Looks like he was killed for reading worthless trash," Kate said dryly.

"I take it back," Lanie said, turning to Ryan and Esposito. "You guys owe me a _hundred_ bucks. Each."

"Man," Esposito complained. "You guys couldn't have waited one more week?"

Kate turned to Castle and complained, "Am I the only one here interested in catching a killer?"

He smiled in return and announced, "Get serious guys. We've got a body here." The group laughed over the irony of _Castle_ telling the rest of them to get serious. When they all finally turned to give their attention to the body, Rick leaned toward Kate and stage whispered, "I got your back, baby."

While everyone else laughed again, Kate folded her arms and turned to glare at Castle. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

Rick took her hand and unfolded her arms, twining his fingers with hers. "Where would be the fun in that?"

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Lanie, dismissing Castle and the others. But she did allow him to continue holding her hand… at least, as long as it wasn't getting in the way of doing her job.

THE END

**Author's note: I'm going to miss this story; it was a lot of fun. And getting reviews was always amazing! I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed! It made my heart happy to know I wasn't the only one enjoying this story! I wish you all sweet dreams of Castle and/or Beckett tonight! **


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